The inaugural American Rally-Cross is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond. The event is presented by JSCSpeed, the main sponsor.

It is the first-ever rally event at the Pocono Speedway, which also hosts NASCAR and IndyCar events.

The event will be held on the south course which is off pit road into turn 2 and left into the infield sections including a gravel section.

Honesdale racer Gary DeMasi is organizing the event and the proceeds will go to benefit the National Stroke Association.

"We need people to support the cause and have fun watching racing," said DeMasi.

Technical inspections for the vehicles will begin on Friday starting at 7 p.m. Persons can go to the raceway that night and for a $10 fee can secure a camping spot. The racers are planning a fun evening and the fans are invited to participate.

At 7 a.m. on Saturday, there will be more technical inspections and then practice starts at 9.

Qualifying will happen at 10 a.m. and then heat racing will follow throughout the day. A main event will conclude the day-long activities at the track.

Admission for the event is $10 for persons over the age of 12 and that money will go for stroke awareness, said DeMasi.

"Getting in the gate is actually a donation," said DeMasi.

He also said officials at Pocono Raceway have opened up a spectator area where nearly 100 percent of the course will be visible.

Page 2 of 2 - He said it should be a fun event for everyone, from the drivers to the spectators.

DeMasi said there will be a wide variety of vehicles eligible to race in the event.

"There are a lot of different types of vehicles that can pass inspection," said DeMasi. "We are trying to get people to cross over to do something different."

That, he said, is one of the reasons behind this initial event.

"We want to bring it back to the everyday racer," he said.

And DeMasi, a stroke victim who is still recovering, said he is hoping area people will attend to support such a good cause.

He said the National Stroke Association is "on board" with the event and a lot of information about stroke awareness will be available.

You can find more information about the event at americanrally-cross.com. You can also contact DeMasi at 302-200-0265.